Since 2014, the City of Brentwood has owned and operated Ravenswood Mansion, located in Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, as a rental space for special events, weddings, parties, and business meetings. In FY 2022, there were 83 events generating more than $177,000 in revenue. Rental rates and guidelines were initially adopted as part of the Ravenswood Mansion Operating Policies and Procedures prior to the FY 2014 opening. The guidelines and rental rates have been updated in 2017 and 2019 to attract more rentals. Since 2017, bookings have nearly tripled, and revenue is up 229% despite the COVID pandemic in 2020-21. In an effort to limit and slow down wear and tear to the historic home, staff is proposing a rental fee increase and modified polices. Policy proposals include changes for indoor seating capacity, catering, alcohol, lighting, music, wedding planners, and post-event clean up.
Staff recently reviewed and compared rates and general policies to other comparable venues in Middle Tennessee. That research is provided in an attachment. Staff found the average Saturday rental rate for a venue in peak wedding season, from the ones we compared, is $6,845. The current rental rate for Ravenswood Mansion on a Saturday in peak wedding season is $3,500. Given the limited indoor venue space, most events use a tent at Ravenswood Mansion and the average tent rental cost ranges between $2,000- $10,000 depending on tent selection. This additional necessary tenting cost has to be considered when comparing Ravenswood Mansion rates to other surrounding venues that offer enclosed reception space. In an April 5 blog post on our website (copy attached), we communicated with clients that based our experiences with weddings at our facility, we recommend having an overall wedding budget of $30,000-$35,000+ for weddings of around 150 guests.
Staff is proposing to increase the rental rate of Ravenswood by $1,000 for general event rental on Saturdays. Information is attached to show other increases as well as the policy changes. Please contact the Community Relations Director with any questions.
|